A New York Times / Siena College poll released Monday suggests Republican candidates have gained ground with independent voters after polling throughout the summer indicated Democratic Party candidates were in the lead. The poll also suggests that the economy, rather than abortion, remains the most important issue for voters.
The big poll out today comes from the New York Times and Siena College:
“Republicans enter the final weeks of the contest for control of Congress with a narrow but distinctive advantage as the economy and inflation have surged as the dominant concerns, giving the party momentum to take back power from Democrats in next month’s midterm elections, a New York Times/Siena College poll has found.”
“The poll shows that 49 percent of likely voters said they planned to vote for a Republican to represent them in Congress on Nov. 8, compared with 45 percent who planned to vote for a Democrat. The result represents an improvement for Republicans since September, when Democrats held a one-point edge among likely voters in the last Times/Siena poll. (The October poll’s unrounded margin is closer to three points, not the four points that the rounded figures imply.)”
Of particular interest in the poll’s cross tabs are the levels of support a generic Republican receives from black and hispanic voters and independents. According to the Times, 34 percent of hispanics and 18 percent of blacks told the pollster they intended to support Republican candidates. The generic Republican leads the generic Democrat by 10 points, according to the poll.
On the direction of the country, 64 percent of likely voters said the U.S. is on the wrong track.